Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for visualizing a lung using ultrasound imaging techniques. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods that augment images of a luminal networks obtained by other imaging modality with ultrasound images.
Discussion of Related Art
Standard of care for lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD), or for lung-related diseases has been focused largely on medical and/or drug management which are highly invasive to patients in general. For example, it has been reported for decades that lung denervation via localized and invasive means (e.g., surgery) may provide therapeutic benefit for asthma or emphysema.
Electromagnetic navigation (EMN) has helped expand the possibilities of treatment of luminal networks such as the lungs. EMN relies on non-invasive imaging technologies, such as computed tomography (CT) scanning, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or fluoroscopic technologies. EMN in combination with these non-invasive imaging technologies has been also used to identify a location of a target and to help clinicians navigate a luminal network of the lung to the target. However, images generated by these non-invasive imaging technologies have been unable to provide a resolution sufficient to identify features such locations of nerves that run parallel to the luminal network. Further, when a treatment is performed, additional images using these non-invasive imaging technologies must have been performed to determine whether the treatment has been complete. That increases the number of exposures of harmful X-rays or substances to the patient and costs of treatments. Still further, every clinician is desirous of a greater resolution of the area being treated. Accordingly there is a need for an imaging modality, which provides the desired resolution and is clinically efficient in operation.